Bonjour,

J'ai un devoir à faire en anglais. J'ai vraiment pas le temps de le réaliser c'est pour cela que je fais appel à vous. Je propose de donner 19 points ou même beaucoup plus à celui qui me donnera les réponses correctes le plus rapidement possible. Merci de votre attention.


Le texte : The River by Beverly Lewis

Melvin’s wife served his favorite meal at noon—buttered noodles and hot porcupine meatballs with onions and ground black pepper. It was one of Susannah’s best-ever dishes. Later, after a dessert of chocolate fudge pudding, he lingered at the head of the table—his designated spot. It was a rare moment when he was alone with his wife in the kitchen. Their teenage sons, Caleb and Benny, had made themselves scarce this afternoon and hurried back out to the barn, and then who knew where. His boys were in the midst of their Rumschpringe—the running-around years—and Melvin, though he’d raised them to be God-fearing young men, found himself frequently giving them up to the Lord God’s protection and grace. Susannah kept studying him, like she sensed he was procrastinating on something. And she was right, even though he’d never been one to put off important things before. His father had disciplined that character flaw right out of him.

Truth be told, he wasn’t the best choice to phone Tilly. Not in the least. He sat there, trying to relax. Susannah’s eyes twinkled as she mentioned a wedding quilt for one of their many nieces. “I want to help stitch it up a few days from now,” she said. He gave a nod, soaking in her presence. Like him, she was creeping up on forty, but Susannah was still attractive, without a speck of gray in her hair.
“You’re awful quiet, dear.” She reached for his hand. “Everything all right?” He hemmed and hawed, then finally revealed what Chester had told him about Daed’s weak heart. “Ya know, I really hate havin’ to tell my sisters this,” he admitted. “Bad enough having to tell it to you.” “Even so, they oughta know, jah?” Susannah pursed her lips, her gentle eyes on him. He nodded, grateful for her cool hand in his. Her shoulders rose and fell. “Well, and if Chester knows what he’s talking ’bout, it might just be the last time the whole family gathers for—” “Now, now, Susannah, we don’t know anything of the kind. We’ll leave that with the Lord, all right?” With a bob of her head, she slid her hand away and rose to carry the dessert dishes to the sink. He sat still, recalling the last time the family had been together, all of them. Back before Tilly left. Daed and Tilly had butted heads, enough to keep Tilly away for such a long time. It seemed that very little ever got past Daed when it came to that sister.

He was her brick wall, so to speak, and looking back, Melvin realized she’d regularly pounded her head against that wall. For the hundredth time, he wondered why Daed and Tilly had been at odds. From her early childhood . . .
Without saying more, Melvin stood and made his way out to the back room, where he pulled on his work coat, still thinking about his ailing father. Always such a strong man . . . till now.



Questions:

1. Where and when does the scene take place ?
2. Give as much information as you can about the characters relationship, family, background and age.
3. Find two elements in the text which show that Susannah is worried about Melvin.
4. What does Melvin reveal to her? How does she react?
5. What are Melvin's feelings at the end of the extract? Why?